THROUGH YOUR LENS:

Dear Participant

 

I deeply appreciate your time (approximately 15 minutes) to participate in this survey. Your insights are invaluable in uncovering the challenges and opportunities within Jozi for fostering the growth of your creative and cultural work.

This quantitative primary research forms part of my PhD titled: 'A Systems Thinking Approach to the Growth of the Creative Economy of the City of Johannesburg'.

 

I will share all findings as soon as the research is completed in its entirety. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks again!

Mariapaola McGurk (m9art2020@outlook.com)

 

 

Informed consent:

I have been asked to participate in the aforementioned study. I have been informed about my involvement in the research and what is required of me.

I understand that:

• The identity and position of the researchers have been shared with me;
• The purpose for which the information is being collected was shared with me;
• The reason why I was selected as part of this study is clear;
• My participation in the research study is voluntary;
• My answers will not be used if I do not provide written, informed consent (by stating "I agree" below;
• I may withdraw from the research at any time with no negative consequences for myself;
• There is no anticipated risk toward me or my business for taking part in this study;
• There will be no cost incurred by me or my business for participating in this study;
• My answers will be kept confidential, and the anonymised data will be safely stored on password-protected computers;
• The data and results may be used for journal publications and/or conference presentations;
• The data may also be used in related studies in future;
• Other researchers involved in the project may have access to the data, but my name will not appear on any of the databases that are used;
• I will not receive any reports on individual results, but I can request feedback on the overall findings of the study;
• All my questions about the research have been answered, and I agree that my responses from the questionnaires can be used for the research;
  I have read the abovementioned information and agree to participate as per the above conditions.
• I understand everything and consent voluntarily to participate in this study.

*If you do not work within the Creative and Cultural Industries please do not continue this survey*

*If your work does not fall within these cultural domains, please do not continue the survey*

*If you do not work within the City of Johannesburg (regions are outlined below) please do not continue this survey*

Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements from 1 (never) to 5 (most of the time).

 

The 20-item Systems Thinking Scale (STS), derived from the Development and Validation of the Systems Thinking Scale study (Dolansky et al., 2020), focuses on assessing individuals' capacity for systems thinking. Central to this approach is the ability to perceive all elements within a given environment as interconnected. A systems thinker comprehends the repercussions of actions and decision-making within one part of the system on other components, viewing change as an ongoing process rather than a static moment. Recognising the system's holistic nature beyond its individual parts and identifying interconnections within it are fundamental attributes of systems thinking, which the STS aims to evaluate. The 20-item STS has been tailored to suit the nature of the creative and cultural sectors, largely comprised of micro-enterprises and freelancers. 

Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements from 1 (strong disagreement) to 5 (strong agreement).

The second component of this survey is to gain insights from creative practitioners and professionals on whether they perceive the creative economy to be flourishing and successful in the City of Johannesburg. This survey is based on the conceptual framework for developing the creative economy and aligns questions to the eight major factors and the strategies and tactics for a successful creative economy (White et al., 2014). These major factors are interdependent and impacted by one another – offering the base of a systems thinking analysis. 

Is the Creative Economy of the City of Johannesburg succeeding based on eight major factors:

Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements from 1 (To no extent) to 5 (To a very large extent).

 

The survey's third segment aims to discern the presence of an entrepreneurial mindset among creative professionals operating within the City of Johannesburg, along with their proactive pursuit of opportunities, innovative practices, and sustainable income-generating approaches. It seeks to investigate whether individuals engaged in creative and cultural industries within this context exhibit a predisposition toward funding - relying on governmental or private support. This investigation will shed light on the prevailing mindset towards entrepreneurial thinking within Johannesburg’s creative sector.

 

There are three categories for evaluation under Entrepreneurship Orientation: 

1. Risk Taking

2. Proactiveness

3. Innovativeness